The Vines by Christopher Rice
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I'm surprised by how much I liked this novel. I had some difficulties with my last stab at Rice's work--something about an ex-military guy and sex on the beach which I DNF.
This was quirky horror that managed to keep me on my toes, even while it never really scared. I admired the pacing and the characters, though I felt often "backstory" was substituted for "characterization"--a trait that seems to be becoming more and more common (e.g., rather than flesh out the character in real time, I will keep interrupting the narrative with snippets from this painful episode he experienced a few years ago). I'm one of those readers that groan aloud every time a flashback begins.
Still, highly recommended as fun, fast and facile. Like a cheeseburger at that drive-thru that has easy freeway access.
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